Members of the ILA committee met via Zoom on 1st May to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and the impact that it is having on our institutions. Despite the difficulties we are all facing, we are all finding creative ways to respond to the situation and to maintain contact with our communities.
Ebooks and other online resources
A number of libraries are looking at implementing a digital platform or have already done so including Bromley House Library, The London Library, The Leeds Library and the Newcastle Lit and Phil. We’re happy to share our knowledge and contacts with any other institutions that are currently looking at this.
We acknowledge that the cost of this may be prohibitive for some but there are existing digitised materials out there that institutions could point their members to. There are also some commercial platforms that are currently offering their resources for free.
We know that digital can never fully replace the physical but we believe that supporting people to access digital materials is not only a useful service that our libraries can provide right now but it is likely to increase interest in accessing physical copies in the future.
We’re currently looking into whether there is a way that we can enable our members to access digital subscriptions for the many newspapers and magazines that our institutions subscribe to.
Delivering books
Some of our institutions offer a postal service, either because of the crisis or as part of their general offer. Others are considering a physical book delivery service, using staff and volunteers. Both options require significant planning and consideration of the health and safety implications for staff, volunteers and members. Again, we’d be happy to share our experiences with any institutions that are currently looking into this.
Communicating with our members
Our institutions are doing as much as they can to keep in touch with members and keep them engaged with our collections. Zoom meetings, ebulletins, web forums, social media, streaming events etc… Whatever happen in the short term, some level of digital communication will be the norm from now on – and we’re all learning quickly!
We also acknowledge that not all of our members are online. Where possible, we’ve been keeping phone lines open and communicating with members by post. We’re worried about the long-term impact of isolation and loss on our members and expect this to be reflected in our future programming of activities.
What next?
We’re all beginning to think about how and when we might be able to reopen, while acknowledging that this will always be dependent upon the advice from government. This is likely to be a staggered process, with services and activities gradually coming back as the virus has less of a hold on our communities. Some of us may face financial difficulties along the way but we’re all seeing a huge amount of support from our members and key donors, indicating the value that people place upon our institutions, even at this difficult time.
Our institutions are very different and we’ll face different challenges but sharing our thoughts, ideas and concerns with each other will help us to find solutions and a way through this. On that note, we’ll be arranging some further sessions to carry on these discussions and we will extend an invitation to all staff, volunteers and trustees of our member institutions.